How
galaxies formed and evolved is a fundamental aspect of the universe
we live in. A flood of multi-wavelength data from space and ground
is revolutionizing our knowledge of both the local and distant
universe. Although a ``standard" cosmological model for the universe
as a whole is emerging, many aspects of galaxy formation remain
deeply puzzling. Fortunately, large telescopes allow us to observe
galaxies far back in time at only a small fraction of their present
age. The building blocks of present-day galaxies and their formation
process are thus becoming directly observable. The need to understand
these data has triggered extensive theoretical work, some of which
uses state-of-the-art numerical techniques to simulate galaxy
formation on supercomputers.These exciting observational and theoretical
developments will be the focus of discussion in the School. The
pedagogical lectures will start from the basics and reach the
cutting-edge of issues and results.

Participation: the school is intended for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers from all over the world. Cost: Registration fee:$360.Hotel accommodation fees:$490. Financial support
will be granted based on requests made during application. Applications:
should be made via the web site by November 15, 2003.Candidates are
also asked to send a short CV, a brief summary of current research,
and arrange for at least one letter of recommendation to be sent to
the School (e-mail is encouraged).